Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2014 Ventisquero Grey [Glacier] Single Block Carménère ($20)

Carménère was first introduced into Chile in the mid-1800s. At that point, it was thought to be Merlot. That is until 1994 when testing showed it was actually Carménère.

While wines from Chile labeled as Carménère can contain up to 15% other grape varieties, this one from the Maipo Valley, is 100% Carménère. It comes from La Trinidad vineyard and is produced as a single block wine.

This wine has intense black fruit flavors of black cherry and blackberries, peppery notes and firm tannin.

The winemaker notes state “We age our Grey Carménere for a minimum of 18 months and another 8 months in bottle, or longer…Carménere needs some oak to tame it, but the variety’s beauty is its fruit, so you can’t go overboard on the oak.”

Give this one some serious time in the decanter and serve with big, flavorful meats such as game meat or marinated beef.

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White of Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2017 Left Coast Truffle Hill Chardonnay ($24)

This Chardonnay is from Oregon’s Left Coast “Truffle Hill” vineyard that contains four acres of European Black Truffle-inoculated hazelnut trees, shrub roses and holly oaks.

This 100% Chardonnay is fermented in 100% French oak before being aged for 10 months.

Left Coast winemaker Joe Wright states “This easy drinking Chardonnay delivers golden flower aromas of honeysuckle and elderberry accented with brown sugar. A burst of acidity on the palate is complimented with ripe pear fruit, rounded out by vanilla, coconut, caramel and butterscotch on the finish.” Well said Joe!

I found this Willamette Valley Chardonnay to be terrific. It had great flavors of baked apple and spices with just a hint of oak. A wonderful pairing with any lighter fare.

This is a really good one that deserves your attention. Look for it! Cheers!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Will Rogers of Donna White Communications

Does Weight Equal Quality in a Wine Bottle?

You may have experienced it when shopping for a bottle of wine. You lift the bottle to look more closely at the label and you notice how heavy it is relative to other bottles of wine. And immediately you equate this substantial bottle with high quality. But, is it really?

There is no doubt that weight influences quality. And, a high quality product deserves high-quality packaging. Heavy just seems to feel good. Right!

Well, according to wine servers in restaurants, a heavy bottle is a pain to carry, open and pour.

Also, these heavier bottles tend to be slightly larger than a standard bottle, so they often don’t always fit in a standard wine rack.

And don’t forget that a heavier bottle means a case of that wine is going to be significantly heavier. And that adds to the shipping cost.

So, shouldn’t we really be paying more attention to the quality of wine inside the bottle than the bottle itself? In most cases, the bottle weight really doesn’t mean anything. The one exception is for sparkling wine. A thicker bottle is necessary to handle the high pressure inside the bottle. Otherwise, a heavy bottle is just a packaging option that the winemaker is using.

Then, there’s that ‘dimple’ in the bottle of wine. What’s up with that? Well, we’ll get into that next time. But for now, Cheers!

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2015 Left Coast Cellars Truffle Hill Pinot Noir ($42)

This Truffle Hill Pinot Noir is another excellent offering from Oregon’s Left Coast Cellars. It gets its name from the five-acre vineyard that is also home to four acres of European Black Truffle-inoculated hazelnut trees, shrub roses and holly oaks.

Produced from 100% Wadenswil 3309 clone Pinot Noir, it is fermented in 65% French oak and 35% stainless steel. Then, it spends 19 months aging in 70% French oak and 30% neutral French oak.

As is with most Pinot Noir from Oregon’s Willamette Valley, this one has black fruit and forest floor aromas, crisp raspberry along with dark fruit flavors of plum, currant, and black cherry. It has firm tannin and distinct acidity on the finish.

This is a delightful Pinot Noir that should be on your watch list. It’s a good one!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Will Rogers of Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

2016 Inurrieta Mimaó Garnacha ($18)

The northern Spanish wine region of Navarra is known for its beauty and diverse terrior, with vineyard filled with Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and beyond. This Garnacha is just another fine example from this region.

This wine is cold soak for eight days at 5°C to heighten its aromas and texture. It is then fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve its bright fruit flavors. Malolactic conversion and refining were performed in slightly used French oak barrels for seven months. This results in cohesiveness of the aromatic intensity, as well as finesse, elegance and freshness of this wine.

This Garnacha exhibits deep, lively, and intense color with floral and fruit aromas. Its highly attractive aromas meet you upon entry while the mouthfeel is lively. Its wonderful red cherry flavors are mature yet fresh. The finish is long-lasting, with minerality and bright fruit. This is very typical of fresh, ripe Garnacha from the Navarra region.

The wine notes state that this is “… a voluptuous wine, fresh, round, fruity and slightly spicy, it is the perfect companion to vegetables, meats, roasts and even lightly aged cow cheese.” It’s as good as it sounds! And, it’s a great value. Enjoy!

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Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Rebekah Polster, Navarra Media Consultant, 401westcomm.com